Nicholas Reece

The Right Honourable Lord Mayor
Nicholas Reece
105th Lord Mayor of Melbourne
Incumbent
Assumed office
2 July 2024
DeputyRoshena Campbell (November 2024-present)
Preceded bySally Capp
Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne
In office
10 November 2020 – 2 July 2024
Preceded byArron Wood
Succeeded byRoshena Campbell
Councillor of the City of Melbourne
In office
November 2016 – 10 November 2020
Personal details
Born1974
London, United Kingdom
NationalityAustralian
Political partyLabor[1]
Other political
affiliations		Team Sally Capp (2016−2024)

Nicholas Reece (born 1974[citation needed]) is an Australian politician and policy activist, currently serving as the 105th Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne. He is a senior executive at the University of Melbourne and a principal fellow at the Melbourne School of Government.[2] He is the chair of the board of directors at the Movember Foundation,[3] and a commentator at Sky News Australia.

He previously held a number of roles in politics, including as secretary and campaign director of the Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch)[4] and as the director of strategy to former Prime Minister Julia Gillard.[5] Reece's early career included time working as a lawyer at Maurice Blackburn and as a journalist at The Australian Financial Review.[6]

Political career

Labor Party

Until 2012, Reece held a number of roles as a ministerial staffer and Australian Labor Party executive, including:

  • State Secretary and Campaign Director of the Victorian Branch of the Australian Labor Party[7]
  • Senior Adviser to Prime Minister Julia Gillard (Director of Strategy)
  • Senior Adviser to Premier John Brumby (Deputy Chief of Staff, Head of Policy)[8][6]
  • Senior Adviser to Premier Steve Bracks (Press Secretary, Senior Economic Adviser)[6]
  • Adviser, Policy Unit, Leader of the Opposition Kevin Rudd, 2007[6]

Melbourne City Council

In 2016, Reece was elected as a councillor to the Melbourne City Council as a member of Team Doyle.[9] Reece joined Team Sally Capp for the 2020 election, and he was elected as Deputy Lord Mayor.

On 2 July 2024, following the resignation of Sally Capp, Reece was sworn in as 105th Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne.[10][11]

Media career

Reece is a political commentator on Sky News and was the host of Politics HQ between 2017 and 2019.[12] Reece also writes a regular column for The Age.[13]

In 2015, Reece appeared[14] in the award-winning documentary The Killing Season, which recounted the leadership struggles between Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard between 2010 and 2013.[15]

Personal life

Reece was born in London in 1974.[16]

Reece is married to Felicity and has three children. His wife is Greek.

In 2004, he was one of the original 'mo-bros' who got together to raise funds for the Movember Foundation. Since then, Movember has raised almost $1 billion for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men's mental health.[17] Reece has served as a Non-Executive Director on the Movember Foundation Board of Directors since the establishment of the Board in 2007.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Backroom Baz: Liberal Party candidate Angela Newhouse pops up at UK election". Herald Sun. Sunday Herald Sun. 7 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024. Reece is of course life long Labor man, having been a former adviser to Steve Bracks and Julia Gillard and being Mayor is his first big step to the front and centre of the political stage
  2. ^ Lawry, Rhys (9 April 2019). "Mr Nicholas Reece". Melbourne School of Government. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Movember Australia". Movember Australia. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  4. ^ Rood, Paul Austin and David (9 September 2009). "Brumby gets his man, with Gillard's help". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  5. ^ "PM loses key strategist, as mood shifts to hope". Crikey. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d "Reformer fit for combat". Australian Financial Review. 18 June 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  7. ^ Rood, David (14 September 2009). "Chief Brumby adviser lands new Labor role". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  8. ^ "Brumby's policy adviser to head election campaign". ABC News. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Councillor Nicholas Reece - City of Melbourne". www.melbourne.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Nicholas Reece sworn in as new Lord Mayor". Melbourne News. City of Melbourne. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  11. ^ Aubrey, Cara Waters, Sophie (2 July 2024). "New lord mayor to target 'completely unacceptable' safety issues, cleanliness". The Age. Retrieved 4 July 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "We're heading for a 'hung parliament'". Sky News Australia. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  13. ^ "Nicholas Reece". The Age. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  14. ^ "Public sentiment had turned very strongly", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 5 June 2015, retrieved 18 November 2019
  15. ^ "Episode 1 - The Killing Season". www.abc.net.au. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  16. ^ "'Proud' Greek by wedlock Nicholas Reece, to become Melbourne's new Lord Mayor". 28 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Movember United States". Movember United States. Retrieved 17 July 2019.